Florence – John Gaw, 45, and Deanna Gaw, 42, were sentenced in Pinal County after pleading guilty to two counts of burglary, each.

According to a Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Narrative report, John, an actual real estate agent, used an online system to identify homes for sale in SaddleBrooke and his wife, Deanna, posed as a real estate agent booking windows of time for the couple to be at the houses without the homeowners present. While the homeowners believed their house was being shown to a potential homebuyer, the burglaries ensued.

On July 10, 2012, homeowners, suspicious of the couple, reported them to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, providing a description of the man, woman and vehicle they were driving. That same day, a PCSO Deputy saw the vehicle matching the description with an expired Nevada license plate and pulled the vehicle over on Highway 77, as it traveled into Pima County.

After the PCSO Deputy noted latex gloves, women’s jewelry and collector’s coins on the floorboards of the vehicle and further noted the couple matched the description of the suspicious couple reported to police, he requested back-up from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office. After establishing probable cause, the Gaw’s were arrested on suspicion of burglary and fraud.

The Pinal County Attorney’s Office filed indictments against the couple and on July 29, 2013, John Gaw accepted a plea agreement and was sentenced to a 3.5 year term at Arizona Department of Corrections with five years of supervised probation to follow. Deanna Gaw accepted a plea agreement, on April 14, 2014, and was sentenced to 2.5 years at DOC with a three year term of probation to follow.

Pinal County Attorney Lando Voyles stated, “Exploiting an online real estate listing service, largely used by the real estate industry, these two criminals abused the trust individuals place in real estate agents to prey on and burglarize unsuspecting homeowners. Victim homeowners, suspicious of their activities, correctly contacted authorities and due to a successful investigation and prosecution, the defendant couple, who previously posed as a potential buyer and agent, has now found a new home in prison for the next several years.”

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